we put a lot of thought and effort into Christmas cards each year. we love starting with a blank canvas and forcing our creative minds to get outside of the box. our goal is always to create something memorable. something that we are proud to mail out to friends and family. something that we can look back on years from now and smile about.
we went with a retro theme for this year’s Christmas cards. it all started with kelly mentioning that she would love to take an older-looking photo this year. as soon as those words came out of her mouth, my mind started running. we went straight to the drawing board and began sketching out ideas. it didn’t take long for us to come up with the final concept.
in order to be authentically retro, i new that i wanted to shoot with an actual polaroid camera. and it just so happens that the brand new polaroid Z340 was recently released. it was a no-brainer.
no photoshop. no silly filters. no iphone apps. just the raw image straight from the camera. printed in a way that only polaroid can achieve. it is a thing of beauty.
so, the first step was to shoot the individual polaroids of our family. the direction was to keep it fun and light-hearted. we also wanted to try and connect the photos with our poses and body language. and just for the record, i don’t actually wear glasses. they were just a prop to add that extra bit of retro spice.
once the polaroids were shot and printed, i then set each of them up on a white freezer door with lettered buttons that were made to look like magnets. we wanted it to resemble a group of polaroids stuck on an old refrigerator door. i blasted the scene with some studio lights, and basically shot a photo of the photos.
the final step was to add the “Merry Christmas” text. as a typography nerd, i was so stoked to use this beautiful retro script with just the right blend of pink and red. and just like that, it all came together.
so, hot off the press, i give you our 2011 Christmas cards.
